DD Council solicits nominees for annual disability awards

The Council on Developmental Disabilities is now soliciting nominees for its Annual Awards for Developmental Disabilities Advocates, which will be held as part of celebrations for the DD Awareness Month in March.

“If you know of anyone deserving of an award in any of the award categories, submit nomination to Council on DD by Feb. 17, 2006. Also, please forward email to your family and friends so as to spread the word,” the Council said in a statement.

For more information, call the Council at 664-7000; fax, 664-7030; or e-mail gddc@cnmiddcouncil.org.

The different award categories are:

Advocate of the Year: The nominee must be a person without a disability who facilitated and resulted to policy changes, removal of physical barriers, assisted a person(s) with DD receive supports and services or advocacy assistance through attorney, file complaints, or NMPASI.

Family Advocate of the Year: The nominee must have a child(ren) with a developmental disability, most especially very young child(ren) with DD who advocated on behalf of their child to get supports or services or exercise their civil rights in education, early childhood, independent living, health care, recreation, transportation, etc.

Legislative Advocate of the Year: The nominee must have introduced bills or resolutions and assisted with the passage of law that benefits and impacts a person’s life and their families.

Community Member Advocate of the Year: The nominee may be any community member at large, who advocates for people (or a person) with DD to get supports or services or exercise their civil rights in education, employment, independent living (housing), health care, recreation, transportation, or whose actions benefit the lives of people with DD.

Public Entity Advocate of the Year: The nominee must be a private entity that made their program, services accessible, advocated for equal access, provided special accommodations, changed their policies and practices, included provisions on ADA requirements for public benefits, impacts citizens with DD and their families, etc.

Employer Advocate of the Year: The nominee must be an employer that directly hired (not training agreement with OVR but as a result of OVR or WIA efforts) and provided reasonable accommodations including training to an employee with DD that lasted at least one year.

Private Business Advocate of the Year: The nominee must have removed policies, practices, and architectural barriers; taking on risk to make available public support/services.

Educator Advocate of the Year: The nominee must be an education entity or personnel who advocated on behalf of a group of students to get appropriate and quality education, more accessible facilities, accessible school transportation, education policy or change, secure funding to support education, etc.

Transporation Advocate of the Year: The nominee must provide or expand its transportation services not otherwise available in the community to benefit citizens with DD and their families.

Self Advocate of the Year: The nominee must be a person with a developmental disability who advocated for him/herself to become productive, independent, included as a result of their advocacy efforts, became employed, effected policy change, buildings accessibility, exercised his/her civil rights, supports or programs or services redesigned or more accessible, or made available. (PR)